Resignations should not end inquiries

Posted:
03/18/2013 08:25:50 PM MDT

When public processes fail us, the expectation is there will be some inquiry into events and that answers will be revealed. Internal investigations into national catastrophes such as the space shuttle Challenger explosion or the 9/11 attacks led to better understanding of how government processes worked -- and where they could get better.

While such investigations are more rare at the state and local level, they have been employed to look at topics such as potential breaches in ethics from elected officials of all political persuasions.

Recently in Northern Colorado, however, investigations into the actions of local law enforcement officers have been shut down before the public could get an idea of what was found, much less what the agencies can do in the future to prevent problems.

On Saturday, Fort Collins Police Services Chief John Hutto announced the resignation of Lt. Jim Broderick, the investigator who played a central role in gathering the evidence for prosecutors in the 1987 murder case of Peggy Hettrick. Prosecutors took that evidence and won the conviction against Tim Masters, who was 15 years old at the time of Hettrick's death. Only through the perseverance of Masters' supporters was DNA from the scene retested a decade into his life sentence -- and it showed he was not the killer. Then, the inquiry looked at the other evidence used to convict Masters, as well as the exculpatory evidence that was not shared, and found serious flaws in the case. Hutto acknowledged as much in his statement Saturday, "Mistakes were made."

However, with the departure of Broderick, the public will never know exactly what those mistakes were or how they were allowed to railroad an innocent man into a conviction. Because the internal affairs investigation involved Broderick's role with the department, it ended with his employment.

As it is, the Broderick-Masters case has cast a pall over criminal justice in Larimer County. Many jury pools are filled with people who wonder about the veracity of any evidence that comes before them.

The best way to address those concerns would be to have processes in place where an independent investigation could occur involving more than a specific person involved, because their abrupt departures would lead to unanswered questions.

Sometimes the truth hurts, but facing that truth is the only way to chart an honest course for future actions.